Confessional service.



No. 761,307. PATENTED MAY 31, 1904.

H. LA PRISE.

GONFESSIONAL SERVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 0012s. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

. UNITED STATES Patented. May 31, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY LA PRISE, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE ILL & BAUMER COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CONFESSIONAL SERVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,307', dated May 31, 1904.

Application filed October 26, 1903. Serial No. 178,565. (No model.)

To all whom, it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY LA PRISE, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Confessional Services,

'of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full,

' clear, and exact description.

or less offensive and in this way is often ex posed to contagious diseases.

The object of my present invention is to relieve the priest from these inconveniences and exposures and at the same time to make the penitent feel more at ease during his or her confession.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are opposite face views, and Fig. 3 is aside view, of my invention. Fig. 4 is asectional view taken on line 4 4, Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

A hollow partition or rectangular case 1'is placed in the wall or partition, as 2, of a building and is provided with opposite transparent glass sides 3 and 4 facing adjoining rooms or apartments, so that the priest and penitent may see each other, but are separated from personal contact by the case or partition. One of the sides, as that facing the priests apartment, is hinged to the body of the case to form a door 3 to permit access to the interior for the purpose of repairing, cleaning, or disinfecting the same, and upon this door are mounted a speaking-tube 5 and a hearing-tube 6, the former being secured in an opening 7 in the glass and communicates with the interior of the case, and the latter is secured in an opening 8 in the same glass, but at one side of the former opening, and also communicates with the interior of the case. The

outer ends of these tubes 5 and 6 are provided, respectively, with a mouthpiece 9 and an earpiece 10, both of which project from the outer face of the door and consist of funnel-shape ends facing at right angles with each other, but at different distances from the case, so that when speaking in the mouthpiece the ear is close to the funnel of the hearing-tube. In like manner the opposite or penitent side 1 of the case is formed with openings 11 and 12, which are disposed in a plane beneath that of the openings 7 and 8, but in substantially the same vertical planes as the latter openings, respectively.

A. speaking-tube 13 for the penitent is secured in the opening 11 to the side L and communicates with the interior of the case and is formed with an outwardly-projecting funnel or mouthpiece 15, while its inner end is provided. with arms 16, which support a cup 17, containing a disinfectant absorbent 18. Asecond hearing-tube 19 is secured in the opening 12 to the side 4 nearly opposite but in a plane beneath the tube 6 and extends outwardly a greater distance than the mouthpiece 15 and is formed with a funnel-shaped earpiece 20 at its outer end, while its inner end communicates with the interior of the case. These funnel-shaped ends of the penitents speaking and hearing tubes also face at right angles to each other, so that when the mouth is presented to one the ear is in close proximity to the other.

Sound deflecting plates 22 are suitably mounted within the case to localize the soundwaves at the hearing-tubes, and thereby permitting the conversation in low tones of voice.

It will be observed that the breath of the penitent when speaking in the mouthpiece 15 comes in direct contact with the disinfectant absorbent 18 in the cup 17, and the soundwaves are conveyed to the interior of the case and to the priests hearing-tube, and that owing to the fact that the penitents speaking and hearing tubes are out of alinement with those of the priest the latter is less liable to be exposed to offensive odors and contagious diseases. It is also apparent that the breath of the communieant is first conveyed to the interior of the case which contains the disinfectant and that the speaking and hearing tubes at one side are on the swinging door, which may be opened when desired to permit the interior of the case and also the inner ends of the tubes to be thoroughly cleansed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A confessional service comprising ahol low case having separate pairs of tubes lead ing from opposite sides of the case and connecting with the interior chamber of said case for the purpose set forth.

2. A confessional service comprising a hollow partition having opposite transparent glass sides each formed with an opening, a speaking-tube connected to one opening and a hearing-tube connected to the other opening.

3. A confessional service comprising a case, inclosing an interior chamber, a speak ing tube and a hearing-tube respectively mount-i ed on opposite walls of the case out of alinement, but communicating with the interior. chamber.

L. In a confessional service, a case inclos-v ing an inner chamber, a speaking-tube and a hearing-tube secured to opposite walls of the case and communicating with said chamber, and a disinfectant in the chamber.

5. A confessional service comprising a hollow partition having openings in its opposite walls, a speaking-tube in one opening, a disinfcetant-support in the partition, and a hearing-tube in the other opening.

6. A confessional service comprising a case having an interior chamber, speaking-tubes leading to the chamber from opposite sides and hearing-tubes lead ing from opposite sides of the chamber, and a disinfectant-support in the chamber in alinement with one of the speaking-tubes.

7. A confessional service comprising a hollow case having openings in opposite walls, a speaking-tube and a hearing-tube secured in said openings respectively and deflector-plates in the interior of the case for the purpose set forth.

8. A confessional service comprising a case having an interior chamber and front and rear walls each having an opening, one of said. walls being movable, a speaking-tube in one opening, and a hearing-tube in the other opening.

9. A confessional service comprising a case having an interior chamber and front and rear walls each having an o ')ening, one of said walls being movable, a speaking-tube in one opening, and a hearing-tube in the other opening and a cup on the inner end of the speakingtube and containing a disinfectant.

1n witnesswhereof I hereunto set my hand this 14th day of September, 1903.

HENRY LA PRISE.

Vi tnesses:

H. E. CHASE, MILDRED M. NOTT. 

